Acetylene-gas generator.



PATBNTBD JULY 4, 1905.

L. S. BFFINGTON. ACETYLENB GAS GENERATOR.

APPLICATION FILED PEB. Gy 1904.

2 SHBETS-SHEET 2.

illicit 'YQLTK 'Patented .Tilly fit, 19025.

Meriti? ASSIGNOR T() SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. '794,07?, dated July at, 1905.

Application filed February 6,1904. Serial No 192,346.

To al?, m7110111/ 'it 77mg/ (former/1,:

Be it .known that l, Lenox S. Beenmerou7 :t eitizen et the United States, residing et lt'linneztliolis, in the eounty o'l l'l'ennepin and Sttte ol" Mini'iesote, have invented eertein new and useful Improvements inY ileetylenetime (leneretore, end l. do hereby deelztre the following` to be t lull, elettr, end exeet deeeription oi the invention, sueh ne will enz'tble othere` skilled in the :trt to which. it eppertuin` to ineke end use the seine.

bly |An'eeent invention relzttee to metylenegne generzttolis, end eepmzielly to those .heving burnere` eonibined therewith :ind :ulnfpted to be. enrried und lehuken about without interl'erenee with the generating :ind burning eetione.

lhe invention hee lior its` pzntieulzn' object the provision ol" tu :teetylone-gate` lenip or bull's-eye adapted l'or use in eonneetion with :tutoinobile end other vehieles.

lo the above ende the invention consiste ol the novel devieee end eoinbinetiol'ltl ol" devieee hereiiiefltm' deseribed, endV delined in the elztilne,

rlhe invention illustrated in the :weem- 'pztnying drmvings, wherein like elntruetere indienite like perte` throughout the several views.

liligujre ll is :t vertienl SeetionV teken through the improved la'nnp or bulle-eye on the line it it ol Fig. VFig. 2 is :t liron t elevzttion ot the Said lmnp. Fig. 3 ft detail view showing1 the manner olZ eeeuring :t hood to the lamp-body. Fig. t is e detail view in plain, showing the ineens for seeuring the top eztp of the gel'iertttor-elm1nber to the body thereolf and. .liig is n, vertical section eorreeponding in the line ol. its Seetion to lilig. i. end showing the eerbid-holder und e portion el the generetor, eitid perte beingl drewn ipe/rt :tnd some pin-ts being broken away.

The body olf the lmnp illustrated is zt'llord ed by e liorizontelly-disposedv eylindrieal shaft l, whieh has :t reetangulsn bese 2, e yoke-like handle 3, end is adapted to be Supported `lroin the vehicle by rode et or in any other euiteble wey.

The generetingehaniber is nliorded by e vertieelly-disposed cylinder 5, which depende dimnetrieatlly through the shell 'l and is closed :tt its bottoni.

'.lhe light-tent ol, the lump, :le Shown, Vinvolves n, concave delleetor G, e burner 7, end :t eoneztvo-eonvex lenl H. The defleetor G end lene b5 ere disposed in the usuel wey, end the usuel nir-d ruit passages are of eourse prori y f 5 vided. lhe burner 7,\\fh1eh1s prelerebly ol the two-pronged type, loeuted slightly below the exis of the deIeetor, eo thztt the moet intense portion ol its llztnle will be approxinnttely :1t the seid :txis ol the delleetor. The tube of the seid burner leeds l'roln the generztting-elntmber 5,.:tnd mounted therein le :t smell eonieztl ehelux-valvey E), which is :idepted to be vzn'iztblyset,so :te to limit the size olI the diseh:trge-pesenge through the Seid tube.

rlhe upper end ol the generatingeheinber 5 ie nornntlly tightly eloeed by L heed l0, between w'hieh end the rounded upper edge ot seid ehzmiber ie interposed pliable gasket 111 lor l'orniing e, tight ljoint. lhe heed l() is provided with peripheral lugs l2, loented nt liztniel.rieztlly opposite pointe end formed with revereely-extended open Slots l2". '.lhunib-eerewe 13, whichv Vwork with serewthreeded engagement throughlug projeetions 5"' on. the sides olE Vthe Vupper end oi" the genereting-ehznnber 5, cooperate with the slotted luge I2 to detztehnfhly hold the heed l() in working position. its ie evident, when the tlium`| sere\\'s lil :tre loosened up the seid luge` l2 :may be engaged with or disengz'tged from the Seid tlmnil -serews by e Slight rotery movement ol.'v the eztid heed ll).

The heed l0 is provided withV the depending eylinder 14, whieh teleieieopetl hiesely into the geiwritting-ehember and is provided et iteI intermediate portion. with e horizontal 'partition l5, wliieh ztll'ords n bottoni for eww ter-eheinber 16, ilforinedin the upper portion oit the Seid cylinder l-ft. The heed l() is lur ther 'provided with :l eelnispllerienl flange 17, whieh eflords t dome-like top to the witter ehetniber 1G. A ISleeve 15% opens vertically through the heed 10 and illimge 17 and when opened e'llords e passage lor the introduotion of water through the chamber 16. A capnut 19 approximately closes the upper end of the sleeve 1S, but is provided with a small vent-hole or air-passage 20. Said cap 19 is further provided with depending concentrically-located tubes 21 and 22, having air-passages 23 and 24.

At the central portion of the horizontal partition 15 is a valve-seat casting 25, having a capillary feed-passage adapted to be opened and closed at will by a needle valve 26. This needle-valve has screw-threaded engagement with the valve seat casting 25, its threads being slotted at 27 to permit the water to pass to the conical point of said valve. The upper end of said valve works through a depending sleeve-like hub 23 of the head 10 and at its extreme upper end is provided with a crank oriinger-piece 29, by means of whichit may be turned. The upper end of the waterdistribution tube 30 is rigidly secured to and depends from the valve-seat casting 25. The lower end of this tubeis closed, and ata point near its upper end it is provided with one or more water-escape passages 31. Vithin the tube 30, depending from the casting 25, with its upper end in communication with the valve-equipped passage thereof, is a small feed-tube 32, which extends nearly to the bottom of said tube 30 and is then turned abruptly and vertically upward and terminated at a point below the lowermost perforation 31. In the upturned delivery end of this feed-tube 32 is a gravity-seated check-valve 33, which is adapted to be opened by the upward pressure of water thereon, but is adapted to be closed to cut ofi" the water-supply whenever the pressure in the generatingchamber equals or exceeds the pressure of the feed-water. This valve 33 is preferably in the form of a ball having asmall stem 34, that projects downward into said tube and projects slightly upward above said ball. A stop-lug 35 on the receiving end of the tube 33 overlies the upper end projection of the valve-stem 34 and prevents the said valve 33 being forced out of position by the upward pressure of water thereon. To remove the said valve from said tube 32, it is necessary to spring its stem laterally out of line with said stop-lug 35.

In the open chamber formed in the removable cylinder 14 below the horizontal partition 15 is a carbid-holder, shown as made up of a cylindrical cup 36, an interior cylinder 37, and heads 38. The cup 36 has spring-iin,- gers 39, which engage with the interior of said cylinder 14 to Jfrictionally hold the carbidholder within said cylinder and to cause said carbid-holder to be removed therewith. The heads 38 telescope frictionally on the end of the interior cylindrical section of the carbidholder, and the upper head is provided with perforations 40, through which the gas may escape from the carl'iid-holder into the generating-chamber. The said upper head 3S is also preferably formed with a depending sleeve 41, which surrounds the upper portion of the water-distributing tube 30. Again, also preferably placed within the carbid-holder is a perforate cylindrical sleeve 42, which loosely surrounds the depending sleeve 41 and holds the carbid out of contact therewith and with the depending distributing-tube 30.

In my present invention, as in my companion application, Serial No. 192,345, iiled of even date herewith, l place within the water-chamber an open-topped elevated waterfeed cup 43 but in the present instance the said feed-cup is formed near its bottom with leakage perforations 44 for an important purpose, which will hereinafter appear. This feed-cup 43 surrounds the lower portion of the valve 2G and is rigidly secured to the valve-seat casting 25, so as to direct the water to thc valve-equipped feed-passage thereof. The upper portion of said lfeed-cup 43 is so disposed with respect tothe dome-like top 17 that water will be continually splashed into the said cup under vibratory movements given to the lamp when the vehicle to which it is attached is in motion. Hence it is evident that as long as the vehicle is in motion the said cup 43 will be kept full of water and a constant maximum head of water, and consequently a maximum pressure of gas, will be maintained. Vhen, however, the vehicle is at a standstill and the water is not agitated, the leakage-passages 44 permit the water in the feed-cup 43 to come to the level of the body of water within the water-compartment, thus giving a reduced head of water and causing the gas to be generated under less pressure than when the vehicle is in motion. This has the effect of automatically turning down, as it were, the burning flame when the vehicle is at rest, at which time a maximum of light is not desired. The valvestem 26 and the sleeve 28 afford an abutment located axially of the opened-top cup 43, against which the water splashed about in the water-compartment will strike and over which the water will run down into said cup.

As is evident, the generating action is started by opening up the valve 26, thereby permitting water to flow from the waterchamber into the carbid-holder. The water which flows into the receiving end of the feedtube 32 flows downward and then upward through the said tube and then after it has lifted the check-valve 33 overflows and runs into the water-distributing tube 30 and lills said latter tube until it reaches the lowermost perforation 31 thereof, whereupon it runs downward over the outer side of said tube 30 and comes into contact with the carbid a'fter having 'first passed through the perforations of the perforate sleeve 42. After the generating action has been started the IOO IIO

check-valve 33 will remain submerged in water contained within the tul i 3i). The stem 34. olE said valve 33 loosely fits within the delivery end oi' the feed-tube 32, leaving a restricted water-escape passage, which will limit the maximum supply of water regardless olE the position oir the said cimeli-valve and et the position oit the needle-valve 26.

lvlrelerably l provide the outside shell or body 1 oil the lamp with a detachable hood or guard-] )late 45, which overlies the cap 10 and is provided with lock-pin seats L1-6 at its ends. Sliding lock-pins 47 work through keepers -l-S on the top of the shell 1 and engage the pin-seats 4:6, as best shown in Fig'. 3, to d etaehablyhold thesaid hood in position. This hood should be removed in order to pernlit the head 10, together with the parts se cured thereto, to be rernoved `from working positions.

From what has been said it is evident that by lil'ting up the head Il() and its cylinder 11i all ol the generating mechanism of the lainp will be removed 'from working position. The carbid-holder niust of course be placed in working position within the lower end of the cylinder 14 and be removed therefrom while the said c ylinder is lilited out o'it working position. The character z indicates carbid placed within the carbid-holder and with which the carbid-holder should be about twothirds Ylilled, so as to leave rooni for expansion oiE the products ol" deconipositionvm-to wit, the pasty substance fornied by the union oiE water with the decomposed carbid.

From what has been said it will ot course be understood that the lainp described is capable oit a large range of inodilications to illustrate my invention, as herein set :forth and claimed. The principal `features of iny present invention Arelate to the generation of gas, and hence itwill be understood that such 'lieatures niay be incorporated in generators which are located at points distant trom or not (',losely associated with the gas-burning d evice or li gilt-'lion t.

W hat l claini, and desire to secure by lietters Patent ofi the United States,is as Vfollows:

l. A portable gas-generator of the charac ter described having within its water-cianuber a centrally-.located (uien-topped leedber an o )en-towed feed-cu) so )ositioned that it will be filledwithwater splashed about within said cllainber, and an abutment projecting axially upward from said cup and assisting in directing the water into said cup, substantially as described.

3. In a generator o'lE the cln'nacter described, the colnbination with. a geiierating-cliaiuber and an overlying water-compartinent, of an open-topped feed-cup in said water-conipartnient, `projecting above the .normal waterlevel thereof and adapted to be :[illed with water splashed about within said water-coinpartnien t, said cup having connnunication, at its lower portion, with the said generatingchaniber through a restricted passage, and a needle-valve cooperating with said restricted passage and projecting axially through said feed-cup, and through the upper portion oli said water-chamber, substantially' as de scribed.

4l. In a generator of the character described, the combination with a water-co1npartment and a gelierating-chamber, oli a Ylieeci-passage in the bottom ol said water-compartnient, a water-feed tube 2:32 depending 'from said water-feed passage into said generator-chaniber, the said tube being bent vertically upward upon itself within said generatiiig-chainber, the valve 33 normally closing the upturned delivery end oi" said tube 32, and having a stein 54 depending into the saine, and a stop 35 on said tube, overlying said valve and preventing the saine from. being accidentally thrown out ot operative position, substan-` tially as described.

ln testimony whereo'l" I atlix my signature in presence oil two witnesses.

LEROY S. BU'FFINGTON.

Ti tnesses: 

